Vampire Hunting Monsters
by fringeperson
Summary: Yusuke is bored with how quiet things have gotten, and hears about the existence of vampires in Europe. Having never faced these creatures before, he determines to go. He's got great timing. DO NOT OWN CHARAS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE ANIME. lotsa implied.
1. Chapter 1

When Yusuke heard about vampires in England, he immediately knew two things. First, he wanted Kieko no where near the place. Second, he was _so_ there! If he told Hiei about it, then the short – and short tempered – fire demon would probably be interested in going as well, which meant they'd also be able to get Kurama to tag along. This could be an _awesome_ fight. Demons versus vampires? Yeah, this was going to rock.

"No."

Yusuke pulled up short in his fantasy land, hit hard by someone very real denying him, in this case, Botan.

"What do you mean 'no'?" he yelled, on the verge of pouting at the same time.

"I mean that the toughest of the vampires in England won't stop fighting until you're not only dead but also disassembled. That's not something you're going to come back from Yusuke!" Botan informed him, shaking him slightly by his jacket front.

"How do you know I won't win?" he groused, sticking out his lip and glaring at the blue-haired reaper.

"Only one person ever has, Yusuke, and that was several hundred years ago, when he was a great deal more ... human I suppose. He was more refined and less insane at any rate," Koenma said, sticking in his two cents worth for the conversation.

"I swear, I've fought every other kind of demon there is out there, let me have a go with these vampires! Come on!" as long as he was still scowling and sounding angry, the mazoku wasn't above words that sounded a great deal like begging to get what he wanted. "It's a demon/spirit world matter, right? It's people who should be dead not staying that way and then getting very powerful. Right up my alley."

"There are two separate organisations in the area already dedicated to the eradication of these vampires. Spirit world has no need to interfere, and demon world keeps out of it because vampires are still more human than they are demon," Koenma snapped, rubbing his fingers against his temples now in an attempt to stave off the headache the punk demon lord was determined to give him these days.

"So assign me to one of these organisations for a while," Yusuke suggested, attempting to be reasonable. "I really want a chance to go at these vampires. I want to see what they can do, see if I can do better -"

"Fine!" Koenma agreed, just wanting the brat to shut up. "You're lucky things are so quiet here now, what with the new demon lord being of the same mind-set as Enki, and all the demons getting used to the way things are now."

"Well, it was another one of Raizen's old buddies that took over," Yusuke pointed out, smiling and showing a couple of his fangs.

"Why are you going to Europe?" Keiko asked, voice flat and clearly pissed as she watched him packing his bag.

"First off, England specifically, and second, I'm going because they breed a different type of bad-ass and I want to try my hand at pummelling them," Yusuke answered, calmly, as he put the last of his gear into his bag and tied off the drawstring. "And third," he continued, turning to face the girl he loved more than anything, "I'll be back in a year, max. I'm going to work for a human organisation as well, which means I'll be getting paid, so I'll be able to afford all the stuff that comes with me wanting to marry you."

Gently, Yusuke slipped his arms around Keiko's waist and drew her close for a kiss, which she allowed and returned.

"Is anybody else going with you?" she asked when they parted. "I know you can take care of yourself, I just feel better when you're not on your own."

"Yeah, I talked to Hiei about it, and he's curious enough about these vampires as well that he and Kurama are going with me. Kuwabara will keep an eye on you here, since he's got to keep up with his studies as well. Hey, you'd better hang onto this. I want all the news with you, and Hiei will want to know about how Yukina is doing even if he won't say anything, and Genkai and Kuwabara. I'll get Kurama to remind me to call regularly, tell you how we're going, okay?" Yusuke said, placing a communication mirror in her hand and folding her fingers over it. He had another one, of course.

Keiko nodded and let her fiance kiss her again.

"What sort of monster extermination organisation calls itself Hellsing?" Hiei asked, grumbling as Kurama pushed him into the car that had been sent by the company to collect them from the airport. Since two out of the three of them were used to human travel methods, and they would be dealing primarily with humans, they had taken human transport, rather than demon or spirit world portals. Hiei had been unhappy about from the moment he was told, so it had been a few days of grumbling.

"Apparently it's the family name," Kurama answered, tired from the flight. He just couldn't sleep on planes, and it was almost noon when they landed at Heathrow, so he had a while to wait before he would be allowed to sleep.

Yusuke just stared out the window for most of the trip. London looked dirtier than home, and more sprawling, less organised, then when they got out into the country side, it was a lot flatter than just about anywhere in Japan.

At last the car turned up a long drive that took them past carefully cut hedges and stopped in front of a comparatively small amount of stairs that lead to the really quite large front door of a, to their minds, excessive looking mansion.

They were met by a monocled older gentleman in the entryway.

"Greetings. I am Walter C. Dolnez, the Hellsing butler," he said, bowing slightly to them.

"Hi," Yusuke answered, a little unsure about all the high brow stuff these English people all seemed to do. "I'm Yusuke, that's Hiei, and this is Kurama."

Hiei grunted, but Kurama added a "pleased to meed you," and his own little return bow to the older man. He felt better for having gotten at least a short nap in the car, thanks largely to Hiei being hospitable enough to let Kurama lean on his shoulder, even going so far as to stroke his hair while he slept, a very comforting gesture between the couple.

"Did you sleep on the flight?" asked the butler politely.

"No," answered the three apparently young men simultaneously.

"I am sorry to hear that. It must have been a long flight for you then. Sir Hellsing will see you before I show you to your rooms," Walter said, indicating for them to follow him through the halls. He stopped after two flights of stairs and a great many corners, knocking on a door and opening it once whoever was inside called him in.

The three boys stopped once they were through the door, though Walter continued further in, drawing a lighter from his pocket as he approached the figure seated behind the desk and lighting their cigar. The 'Sir Hellsing' who they had expected to see was not what they had expected to see.

"I confess I was initially confused when I received word from someone in Japan called Koenma about three fighters interested in testing their skills against vampires, and for a term no longer than a year. Now that I see you, I'm beginning to question the wisdom of permitting you to fight against vampires. I am honestly doubting, from looking at you, that you would live longer than a few minutes against a Freak, let alone a Nosferatu, without a great deal of training." Sir Hellsing said around the cigar hanging from her mouth.

"And when I heard 'Sir Hellsing' I expected a guy. Life's full of surprises," Yusuke answered. "As for the vampires, I don't know how I'll go against them either. I'm here to find out."

"Please don't mind Yusuke," Kurama said, noticing the way Sir Hellsing's expression narrowed at his friend's words. "He has a long history of having a general problem with authority. As for our skills, I'm sure you have a training area for your regular anti-vampire contingent. Perhaps you would like a small demonstration?"

"Hn, even the oaf we left back in Japan is competent in a fight," Hiei grunted. "I want to see what methods you use before anything else."

The blond woman nodded but did not move. "Perhaps after you have had a chance to rest though. Due to the nature of our work, residents of Hellsing Organisation are largely inclined to sleep quite late," she suggested.

The three agreed readily, not having had any decent sleep for some time.

Walter had shown them to a hallway which had rooms made up for each of them, but Hiei and Kurama had instantly gone into the same room and shut the door, leaving Yusuke with the older man.

"Oh, I say..." Walter started, surprised at the simultaneous motions of the tall red head and the shortest member of the trio.

"Don't, please. They become less pleasant if anyone starts asking about it. Hiei doesn't really like anybody to begin with, but getting nastiness from Kurama is really, really unpleasant. He just about becomes a totally different person, and much worse than Hiei," Yusuke said, rubbing his eyes. Kuwabara claimed to still have nightmares from the day he'd asked Kurama what the deal was between him and Hiei. He hadn't gotten an answer either.

"I'll be in the furthest one. I don't need or want to hear what they get up to," Yusuke added, hefting his bag up on his shoulder again and waving to Walter before heading into the third room available, rather than the one next to the one his friends had chosen. "See you in a couple of hours, yeah?"

"Yes," Walter confirmed. "Rest well."

"No problem there," Yusuke chuckled before turning from the butler and going into his temporary residence. Kuwabara and Kieko told him that he frequently talked in his sleep – very coherently and usually with greater insight than he had when awake – and had even once fought off an attacker in his sleep.

"Walter," Integra said when he returned to her office after seeing the foreigners to their rooms.

"They are certainly more than they appear, Sir Integra," Walter said, giving a report she didn't even need to ask for. "I think it might be wise to reserve judgement until we have seen how they perform in a controlled environment, and perhaps even how they react to Alucard."

Integra nodded. "Perhaps, but I think I'll start with how they react to the police girl. If they can't stay focused around her, then they're a risk to an operation."

"I doubt it will be a problem, if I may Sir Integra. The three of them are only using two of the rooms made ready for them."

Integra was silent a moment as she contemplated that. "That still leaves one of them to be distracted. Nevertheless, both vampires shall meet our guests this evening. Depending on how that goes, they may prove helpful in regards to our current difficulties."

"Are you referring to the Vatican or to Millenium, ma'am?"

"Both."


	2. Chapter 2

It was three hours later, when the sun started to set, that Walter went to fetch the guests from their rooms to the training ground. Knocking first on Yusuke's door, he entered when a "Yo!" came from within.

He stopped short. Of all the things he thought the boy with the greased back hair might be doing in his room, balancing on one finger wasn't on the list. His balance wasn't rock-solid, but he stayed up with amazing ease.

"You seem to have started training without the rest of us," Walter observed politely, unsure what else he could really say in the situation.

"Nah, just warm ups. I got in a quick nap though, so I'm fresh as daisies," Yusuke answered, tossing himself to his feet and walking over to the table in the middle of the room where a pitcher of water and his jacket innocently sat. He downed some water quickly and slung his jacket on before leaving the room. He just bet this stone mansion got chilly in the evenings.

Yusuke left his room first and went straight to Hiei and Kurama's door when he saw they weren't out already. Banging loudly he called "Time to go guys" through the wood and waited for them to come out.

"You guys get some sleep?" Yusuke asked when they emerged.

"Not much," Kurama said, answering for both of them. "But enough for now."

Yusuke nodded, and Walter politely interjected for the three to follow him to the training area.

The training area was out back of the mansion, which suited the three friends just fine, and Sir Hellsing was already there, in the company of three other figures the friends hadn't met yet.

"Alucard, Officer Seras, Captain Bernadotte, these three are our temporary guests, Yusuke Urameshi, Kurama Minamoto, and Hiei," Integra stated, withdrawing a cigar. "They have come from Japan because they are curious about fighting vampires. We are here at this moment so that it can be determined how high risk a situation could become if we let them assist on missions."

"Isn't it a bit of an awkward time to be having house guests?" the captain asked. "You did just lose most of your people just the other week to an attack."

"You're getting attacked here? Huh, guess we have pretty good timing," Yusuke said, scratching his nose and smiling.

"What is it you do in Japan that has you thinking being here right now is a _good_ thing?" the man asked, his single eye looking over the boys before him – and to him that's all they were. They were, to his eye, fifteen years younger than himself at the very upper-most limit. He'd only just been getting into his business when he was their age. No way they were experienced enough to survive monsters.

"Well for the last couple of months I've been sitting on my ass bored because the demons have mostly been behaving themselves," Yusuke answered, shrugging like it was no big deal.

"Border patrol between demon and human world," Hiei said, sneering, bored at the very thought.

"Liason between the three worlds," Kurama supplied, waving the importance of his job aside, particularly because he got the idea that these people had no idea about what it involved.

Pip's jaw dropped while Integra and Walter had matching looks of blank shock. Alucard stepped forward to get a better look at the Japanese guests. Something about them seemed incorrect to the Nosferatu. They weren't vampires, and certainly not ghouls, but they weren't exactly human either.

"What are you?" he asked at last, capturing everybody's attention with those three words.

Yusuke laughed, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, there's a simple answer and a very complicated explanation," he said. "And for each of us the answer is a little different, but how about we just get on with this for now?"

Alucard nodded. He wanted to see what these strangers could do, and he wanted his police girl to watch them carefully, because they were definitely more than they appeared to be.

"Will you go first?" suggested the ancient vampire to Yusuke.

He shrugged and rolled his shoulders and neck. "I'm mostly a contact-fighter," he stated, raising a fist to emphasise his point.

"Captain," Integra ordered. "How are you at Canterbury Rules?"

Pip sighed and hung his head in resignation. "Great, beating up a kid. I'm not happy about it, but alright," he said, stepping forward and raising his fists.

"Go easy on him Yusuke," Kurama warned, laying a hand on his friend's arm.

"Don't have to tell me, I know," Yusuke answered, shrugging the arm off and stepping up to face the man with the eye patch and the braided orange hair.

Integra raised an eyebrow as Yusuke and Pip settled into vastly different stances. "Begin."

Pip went flying a half second later.

"Aw, come on, I didn't even hit the side with the eye patch!" Yusuke groused. "Or very hard even!"

Bernadotte landed about five hundred meters away and after a couple of seconds got very shakily to his feet, taking a few steps before falling over again. In that manner, he wobbled, toppled, and eventually returned to the group.

"Maybe Miss Victoria would be a more even match?" Walter suggested.

Itegra nodded, surprised by the boy's strength. He wasn't a vampire as well was he?

"Master?" Seras questioned of Alucard.

"Go on Police Girl," the vampire said. "There is something different about these three."

"Yes Master," Seras said, stepping up to face Yusuke.

"Damn, that skirt is even less sensible than the ones Keiko wears," Yusuke observed, kneeling down to look at it more closely.

Seras blushed and stepped back, not sure how to react to that.

"Will you be talking about the length of skirts here with Keiko?" Kurama asked.

Yusuke stood abruptly. "Oops, sorry. Right, serious fight," he said, rubbing the back of his neck again before shifting into his fighting stance. "You get a free shot for me staring at your skirt," Yusuke offered, though it was more like a statement of fact, as though that was how his life went, and with Keiko usually being the one whose skirt he was staring at, it wasn't at all far from the truth.

"Begin," Integra said.

Seras took Yusuke's offer and flicked him in the head just as she had done to Pip when he and the Wild Geese first came to Hellsing. Yusuke, as Pip had done before, went backwards. Unlike Pip, he landed on his feet and smirked, surprising the Hellsing members and charging, readying his fist to lay in some serious pain. His fist took her in the stomach, and the force caused Seras to fold up slightly, gasping.

Yusuke stepped back. "Of course, this is just a nice little getting-to-know-you display of power, and we're both holding back," he said, seeing no particular reason to keep hitting the woman, and extended a hand to her.

Seras accepted it with a weak smile. "I wasn't holding back so much as just doing the smallest thing I could," she said. "But if that was you holding back, then I think I'm glad you stopped."

Yusuke smiled. "I've got a couple of tricks other than just beating people up, but I think it's someone else's turn for a while."

Hiei drew his sword. "Yes, mine."

Integra drew her own sword rather than summoning someone else to fight the shortest among the Japanese visitors.

Kurama halted any further motion between the two. "Sword fighting in Europe is very different to how it is done in Asia and the Middle East, it will not be a fair fight."

Hiei growled. "Will you feel better if I simply drive my sword through your stomach again Kurama?"

The red head smiled, catching the challenge. "The only reason you were able to do that was because I deliberately came between your sword and Yusuke. You would not be able to hit me if I did not want you to."

Hiei smirked.

Yusuke shook his head and went to stand with Integra and Walter. "This is going to be good. Those two normally don't let people watch them when they spar."

"Why-?" Walter started.

"I already said, didn't I?" Yusuke interrupted. "With those two, just don't ask," turning to his friends, he called out "I'll time you guys one minuted. Not a second more alright? We didn't come here just to show off what we can do."

"Hiei was aiming his sword at you once?" Integra queried.

"That was before we became friends," Yusuke explained. "You guys ready?"

Both demons nodded. Hiei readied his sword and Kurama withdrew his signature rose from his hair, waiting for Yusuke's call.

"Go!"

The two figures became blurs of colour that the humans could not follow, and when Yusuke yelled "Stop!" they landed side by side, not even breathing hard. Hiei and Kurama were both unharmed and smirking.

"Nice and loosened up now?" Yusuke asked, smirking himself. His friends nodded, and he watched their smirks grow as they caught the way Pip was staring at them with a dropped jaw.

"So, how do you fight vampires? I suppose it isn't exactly how it is depicted in Stoker's _Dracula_," Kurama asked, casually rolling up his rose whip before shrinking it back down to a regular rose.

Integra followed the hand holding the rose until the flower disappeared before reaching into her jacket to remove her gun.

"Silver bullets, mercury tipped rounds, blessed in Westminster Abbey. Blowing them to pieces generally works as well. Cutting off their heads and putting stakes through their hearts is for people who don't mind possibly getting their own heads ripped off in the attempt. If a vampire gets close to a human, then the human has lost most of any advantage they might have had," Integra explained.

Yusuke held out his hand in silent request to have a closer look. Once it was in his hand, he brought it up close to his face and gave it a sniff, then removed a bullet and giving it a sniff as well.

"What do you think Kurama? Hiei?" he asked quietly, holding onto the gun but handing over the bullet he'd taken out.

"The mercury makes them poisonous to just about anybody, so getting hit by such a bullet would be problematic for humans as well, though I suspect they wouldn't cause much damage to any demon B Class and up," Kurama said softly, rolling the bullet between his fingers.

Hiei took the round and gave it a sniff. "Fallible, but it gives an indication of the strength of these vampires if they can be so easily vanquished," he said, handing the thing back so that Yusuke could return it to the chamber. "It might be advisable for you to carry such a weapon, Detective, until it can be determined the sort of effect your spirit gun will have on these creatures."

Yusuke nodded. "Right." Turning to the Hellsing people, he asked if they had a shooting range, or some trees they didn't mind losing.

"The targets are around about where the captain landed after your first punch. We like to keep that sort of distance between ourselves and the vampires," Integra answered, pointing in the right direction.

"Oh yeah, I spotted those before, didn't think much of it though," Yusuke answered, hefting the gun in his hand and taking aim. It was different to his spirit gun, but when he fired he wasn't too far off where he had been aiming. "Okay, so I can handle that," he said, mostly to himself and nodding as he handed the gun back to Sir Hellsing.

"Is that the only method you employ?" Kurama enquired. "Just blow them up from as great a distance as you can?"

Integra smiled and looked sideways at Walter. "It is the usual method now, since so few men today have the patience for the more refined methods of years before, and with an unprecedented epidemic of undead, we don't have the time to train them in every method. Walter, would you care to demonstrate for Mr Kurama?"

The butler bowed and stepped forward. "Alucard? Would you assist me?"

Alucard laughed and stepped up, smiling. He was still smiling when Walter flicked his wrist and caused the loss of his left arm. Wires could be seen floating around the butler, which fascinated Kurama, though Hiei was more taken with what Alucard was up to, and quickly drew the attentions of his companions to the shadows that were forming where the dismemberment had occurred.

Yusuke raised an eyebrow and turned to looked over at Integra. "I'm confused."

"Alucard is an ancient vampire bound to the Hellsing agency. Officer Seras is also a vampire," Integra explained, dropping her cigar and stamping it underfoot. "Walter is just naturally gifted."

"Well, that explains why Koenma sent us to you rather than the Vatican," Yusuke said. He wasn't big on thinking about things, but sometimes he used his brain. He wasn't stupid after all.

"So, now that you have some small idea of what I am and what I am capable of, perhaps you will explain your own natures?" Alucard said, turning with Walter to return to the others, his arm back as though it had never been severed.

"Born human, died twice, the second time I came back I became a demon. That's the simple version," Yusuke answered. He didn't much care who knew, but he wasn't big on handing out his life story. "Hiei's a demon, and Kurama is essentially a demon soul merged with a human body."

Even Alucard blinked in surprise. None of them had expected that answer.

"Demons," Integra said, hoping she had heard wrong.

Three heads simultaneously nodded.

"Damn. Well, that's just perfect," she said, searching for another cigar. "Do you have any specific dietary requirements? We get medical blood for these two, will we have to find something else strange for you?"

"I've only been a demon for about seven years," Yusuke said. "Burgers work for me, or whatever."

"I have spent nearly two decades as a human, and still have human dietary needs while I am in this body. I am partial to fowl though, any kind," Kurama added.

Hiei just grunted, which made Kurama smile. "Hiei likes demon game cooked in its own blood, but I'm slowly getting him used to different human foods," the red head said, translating the grunt.

"Your bird is here Detective," Hiei announced suddenly.

"Bird?" the Hellsing humans asked, looking up.

"Yeah, I know. He got upset last time I left him behind, so I figured he should probably follow this time. We'll figure a way to keep him out of sight," Yusuke answered Hiei. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called out "Come on down Puu! You've got lots of room to land!"

Above a loud cry sounded and a shadow among the clouds began to spiral down.

"Puu gotten bigger since I last saw him, hasn't he Yusuke?" Kurama asked while the bird was still coming down.

"Yeah, he did some real growing over the last couple years. Not as dramatic as his first growth spurt, but yeah."

Puu at last landed, and nuzzled against Yusuke's chest a moment before giving Kurama and Hiei some attention as well. The blue bird had been about the size of a small car, apart from the wingspan, when Yusuke had died the second time. Now, seven years on, the spirit beast was well on his way to being as big as the commercial aeroplane the friends had flown from Japan in, except without the seats, luggage space, barf-bags or in-flight meals.

"And what do you suppose that thing will eat?" Integra quietly asked Walter.

Puu turned immediately to face the head of Hellsing, meeting the woman's blue eyes with its own brown ones in the gathering darkness.

"Puu lives off my energy. You don't have to worry about feeding him at all really, unless you want to. He likes burgers and bags of seed, but as long as I'm fine, so's he," Yusuke answered.

Later that night, Alucard, Seras and Pip were off to South America. Walter educated the demons in the ways Hellsing disposed of vampires thoroughly, and testing the methods the demons liked to use best. They didn't break except to eat, take a quick nap, and listen with general amusement to the trouble Alucard was getting up to. That is, until the round table conference called by the Queen.


	3. Chapter 3

Alucard, Seras and Pip all arrived shortly after everybody else was seated, well, Hiei and Yusuke had opted to stand, but Kurama had taken the seat offered to him. Of the three Japanese, he was really the strategist, so it made sense that he should be the one seated at a strategical meeting. All three demons watched silently as Alucard approached the English Queen, and Hiei and Yusuke smirked when Alucard talked of the monarch being even more beautiful to him as one old and wrinkled than she had been as a young tomboy of a girl. Nevertheless, they listened intently when the ancient vampire explained the situation.

Nazi soldiers, attempting to raise an undead army, put down fifty-five years ago only to rise again at this time; the Last Battalion.

"I see you found out through Tubalcain's blood," announced a small boy from near the door, surprising nearly everybody at the table with his sudden appearance. "Geez, he's no good."

Three guns were simultaneously drawn. Two by an Iscariot agent Yusuke had decided was pretty cool while they were waiting and talking in the hall before the conference, and one by Pip, who looked rather less impressive out of uniform.

"Wait, I'm just the messenger. I have no intention of fighting," the boy said, walking forward slowly, his hands up as if to show he meant no harm.

Kurama breathed deeply, scenting the boy. "Hiei," he murmured softly, narrowing his green eyes as they remained focused on the uniformed child as he continued to move foward. "Is that boy even really here?"

"Hard to say," the fire demon answered, his voice as low and soft as he could make it. The demons all kept an ear on the rest of the conversation. According to Walter, the defences were both perfect, and were not registering the breach of security that this messenger was.

"It's useless. I'm everywhere and I'm nowhere," the boy said, setting down a box. It seemed to be a cross between an accordion and a portable television. While the boy was distracted by the presence of Seras, greeting her personally, Kurama gestured for Hiei and Yusuke to stay out of sight. This was the enemy, after all. Know them before they know you.

"Dear people of England and the Vatican-" the boy clearly didn't notice the Japanese boys "-our leader, the Major, has an announcement. Please hear it," the boy began, reaching into his pocket and taking out a remote for the communicator. Only to be frustrated by it for a full minute when the device refused to work properly.

"Warrant Officer Schrodinger, nothing's showing," said a voice from the communicator's speakers.

"Schrodinger?" Kurama whispered, his mind now churning. He knew about the psychologist and his experiments, added together with the boy's own statement of being everywhere and nowhere, and the uncertainty he held regarding the actual presence of the boy, and Hiei confirming that it was an unsure thing...

He watched as Alucard and the Major greeted each other as familiar old enemies. He listened as he heard the Major talk like a better educated version of Yusuke – wanting to fight for the sake of fighting. He observed the rest of the table turn pale at watching the vampires feed on humans, and sat amused as insults passed between the leader of Iscariot and the Nazi Major.

"Alright then, stop me, self-professed 'normal' ladies and gentlemen. Unfortunately, you are not my enemy. My enemy is England, Hellsing... No, the man standing over there laughing!"

Alucard was laughing, and he was the one everybody turned to, but Hiei and Yusuke were laughing as well, quietly, in the shadows behind a pillar. Kurama was biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from doing likewise. It really was a splendid declaration, though it was definitely going to be a different sort of fun than had been promised by Yusuke's declaration all those years ago when the first Demon Tournament had been held.

Kurama forced himself to focus intently as Alucard shot the Schrodinger boy, and did not take his eyes off him when Seras shot the console. The boy vanished. No puff of smoke, no fading in or out, just sudden disappearance. And Alucard was the one being targeted.

The Queen gave her order, and the knights, vampires, and guests were dismissed. Kurama approached Alucard quietly, keeping Hiei close to his side.

"I hope you won't think me forward, Mr Alucard, but might I have a micro-litre of your blood?"

Alucard raised a curious eyebrow. "Why should you want that?"

"I have a theory that I need to test. Your blood against the blood of Miss Victoria, who I believe has yet to drink an entire human?" Kurama asked.

"Fool barely eats at all," Alucard confirmed, fixing a disapproving red eye on his Draculina. "What will you do with this blood if I give it to you?"

"Hiei will taste it, that is all," Kurama answered, smiling sweetly, almost innocently, except for the gleam in his green eyes. "A lot can be learned by tasting someone's blood, I did it a great deal in my previous life, but I am out of practice now and Hiei has . . . a particular aptitude for reading such things." Just because they had given statement of their demon nature was no reason to disclose every secret they had, such as Hiei's Jagan eye.

Alucard considered the young man beside him as they walked down the hall, then nodded.

"Police Girl, our guests want a sample of your blood," he called.

"Uh, yes Master," Seras answered, running up beside her master at once. She had been talking to Walter.

Kurama laid a hand on Hiei's shoulder. The fire demon had been scanning through his friends thoughts with his Jagan since Kurama had grabbed him and gone to speak with the elder vampire, and he fully agreed. This was something of importance that needed to be figured out. These Nazi remnants weren't inclined to make a creature like Schrodinger just to carry messages. He had to have another purpose.

"Hers first," Hiei grunted, drawing his sword. Seras was the base, the untainted vampire. Yet to consume anybody as her master had done.

Tentatively, the blond held out an arm, which Hiei pricked with the very tip of his sword, gathering exactly one bead of blood, which he licked away immediately. "I cleaned it this morning, it hasn't been bloodied since," he said in response to Kurama's expression. Hiei had himself once told an opponent how disgusting it was to lick his sword, not knowing how many demons had been cut down by it. It was in the Dark Tournament. The idiot with the beast orbs. "Besides, it's a newer sword, hasn't cut through that many demons yet."

Kurama just smiled softly and shook his head before turning his eyes from Hiei to Alucard.

The Dracula pushed up his sleeve slightly. This was only a drop of blood after all, no need to go so far as tearing a limb off over it.

Hiei delicately repeated the process, his body seizing up as he tasted the richer, older, more potent and powerful blood of the No-Life-King. After a few seconds he came back to himself and shook his head as though to clear it.

"You need to make sure you don't drink that Schrodinger's blood and assimilate him as you have all those other lives," Hiei informed the figure, twice as tall as himself. "You'd get lost inside of yourself and disappear until you killed all those other souls you keep."

Alucard's eyebrows raised.

"You presume to tell me who I may and may not eat?" he almost demanded.

"You weren't listening," Kurama interjected. "Schrodinger's Cat, ring any bells? Exists because it is observed. If Seras consumed him, she would be safe, because she is only herself at this point," Kurama said, looking to Hiei to make sure he was right. A nod from the shorter demon and he continued. "You have millions of fragmented souls within yourself," this time Alucard nodded in acknowledgement. "How will you observe yourself as Schrodinger does, if there are so many of you within yourself?"

Integra pulled up beside her servant, having caught the conversation.

"Makes sense to me," she said. "Officer Victoria, in the upcoming confrontation, Schrodinger is your first target. Kill anyone who gets in your way, but your main target is that messenger boy, who you are to consume completely."

"Yes Sir," Seras answered, saluting sharply, even as she didn't much like the idea.

"What is this?" Maxwell asked, sneering as he approached the smaller conference.

Hiei shot a glare at the man. He disliked how everybody in this country was so much taller than him, in Japan he was merely average height, and in the demon and spirit worlds it didn't matter. Here, so many of the idiots were nearing six foot tall.

"We're just putting dibs on who we want to kill once this war starts," Hiei answered the Iscariot leader, smirking. "Will you be taking part in the fighting?"

Maxwell had not been informed of the three's status as demons, and looked on them merely as heathens, which to him wasn't all that different.

"You will roast in purgatory for centuries, I'm sure," he said, not answering the demon's question.

Hiei, Kurama and Yusuke weren't able to help themselves, and burst out laughing. It would have been thought impossible seven years ago that Hiei would find cause for laughter twice in two months, let alone in two hours.

"What do you laugh at?" Maxwell demanded.

Kurama calmed down first, closely followed by Hiei, but Yusuke was still going while his friends answered the idiotic Catholic's question.

"Your ignorance," Kurama said, with as straight a face as he could at that moment, "and your narrow-mindedness."


	4. Chapter 4

"How are we supposed to get a strike team to the ship without everybody dying before they reach it?" Integra demanded, stalking down the hall of the National Security building. "Every option is confounded by the weapons on that ship or that thrice damned magic bullet."

She'd just had a little back and forth of ideas with Walter, and they'd come out without any ideas that would actually be able to work.

Yusuke chuckled. "You're forgetting one option," he said, smiling as the Hellsing head turned to him with a glare. "Puu."

"You would risk your bird getting shot down?" Integra asked, surprised. The boy had been quite affectionate with the giant blue avian as far as she had seen.

"He's fairly indestructible. If I'm fine, then so is Puu," Yusuke explained.

"I still don't understand this strange connection you have with that bird, but very well. Will he be able to fly Alucard out?" Integra asked.

"And pick him up again when he's done, so the big guy won't miss out on any of our fun," Yusuke confirmed, giving a thumbs up and a slightly pointy grin.

Yusuke had been appointed by Kurama to be Integra's second babysitter. It made sense on the level that things were getting risky, and even if Integra had some skills, it was better if, in the event that something happened causing one body guard to be indisposed, she would not be unprotected.

Dark laughter echoed through the corridor.

"What an excellent thing it is, that you came to us young demon," Alucard said as he rose from Integra's shadow. "Our enemies know nothing of you, and you come with such interesting tricks."

"Yeah, well, we do things differently back home," Yusuke said, scratching the back of his head and smiling that foolish, boyish smile of his that made him look fourteen again. "Oh, that reminds me, what time is it in Japan right now do you think?"

Integra blinked, surprised by the sudden change in subject. "About four in the afternoon I think," she answered.

"Perfect," Yusuke smiled, withdrawing what looked like a powder compact from his back pocket and opening it. "Calling Keiko," he said, grinning at the black circle inside.

"Yusuke!" a girl's face appeared in the circle, smiling. "I wondered when you'd remember your promise to stay in touch!" she said, smiling brightly.

"How's tricks Keiko?" Yusuke asked, wandering slightly away from the Hellsing people, ignoring the way they were looking at him.

The brown-haired girl laughed. "We've got visitors from demon world," she said with a smile. "Jin and Touya, and some of your ancestor's old friends as well, I haven't learned all of their names yet though," she admitted sheepishly.

"Damn, I come over here cause there wasn't anything happening, and then everybody shows up at once!" Yusuke laughed. "How's the hag?"

Kieko frowned sternly. "We're all up the temple right now, and don't call Genkai that Yusuke."

"Just tell the nitwit that I'm still fit enough to pound him into the ground," Genkai's voice came from behind Keiko, causing Yusuke to laugh.

"Good to know," he said, smiling happily. "And everyone else? Kuwabara and Yukina? Shizuru? My mum?"

"Kuwabara passed his last test with flying colours, and Yukina's having fun with our visitors right now, having an ice contest with Touya right now I think, and I think she's winning," Keiko said, looking over in the direction Yusuke assumed the contest was happening. "Shizuru's doing fine, and your mum has, uh, taken a shine to one of Raizen's friends. He seems to like her back, and he's even gotten her to cut back on drinking. I think it might be serious," Keiko said.

"Well, the old man's pals are alright, so I'm not worried. Which one is it?"

"I can't remember his name I'm afraid Yusuke," Keiko admitted. "But he wears a sort of purple beret, and he's got a tail."

"Oh yeah, he's a good guy, pulled his punch when he realised Jin had passed out in the first tournament. I hope it's serious, he'll be good for her," Yusuke said, smiling, glad that his mother was getting another chance. She was only a little way into her thirties now after all. "But how are _you_ doing Keiko?"

"Oh, I worry about you, not that it changes anything," she said, a little sad.

"I'm fine, I promise. Turns out these vampires I'll be fighting are mostly kinda weak compared to the guys I'm normally fighting," Yusuke said, reassuring his girl with a smile.

Alucard heard that comment, and frowned, not liking the slur, however indirect it had been.

"There's a couple of vampires I'm working with too, one's probably almost as old as Raizen was when he keeled over. He's in a different league to the ones I'll be fighting though. He might be a good fight for some of Raizen's old buddies even," Yusuke said, praising the vampires unknown extent of ability.

"Oh? What class?" asked a voice from beyond Keiko. Yusuke recognised it as the jovial Enki.

"High A Class, not sure if he'd be S Class or not, but easily A Class. My understanding is that you can cut off his head and it won't bother him for long," the young mazoku answered confidently.

"Nice trick," Keiko observed. "If you could do that I'd worry a lot less."

"Look Keiko, I'm fine, I'm healthy, I swear! These Europeans don't even know what demons really are. I'll be home before the end of the year," he promised again.

"I know. I love you Yusuke," Keiko said, smiling.

"I love you too, and I'll be home before you know it. Go and have fun, and give everybody my best wishes while you're at it," Yusuke answered, smiling at the girl who was waiting for him so patiently.

"You really care about her," Integra observed as Yusuke put away the communication mirror.

Yusuke just nodded.

"I hope you survive this war then," the woman said.

"I've died twice," Yusuke pointed out. "I may have used up all my chances, but I'm a hell of a lot harder to kill than I used to be."


	5. Chapter 5

Hiei and Kurama were training with the Wild Geese and Officer Victoria. Hiei particularly was curious about the vampire's third eye, he had heard Alucard instructing the girl in once, so they were working together to strengthen that aspect of the girl. Hiei was creating illusions with his Jagan, and Seras was attempting to break through them, with varying levels of success.

Kurama was working the Geese and their captain through building defences, both outside, and inside. Ideally, the enemy would not breach the perimeter, but even with Kurama's skills, nothing was perfect. The mercenaries planted different varieties of land mines throughout the grounds, and prepared grenade launchers that they could fire. Kurama planted his own traps in the grounds. If the enemy were smart enough to find a way to cross the space without setting off the claymores, then he wanted something that could entrap as many as possible. He didn't know how vampires and demon plants would eventually interact, but if nothing else, his pets ought to slow them down.

Inside the building, however, defensibility dropped. There were corridors leading to corridors leading to corridors, every room in the house could be reached, and breached, with the exception of the dungeons, and even they could be reached easily if one thought to use the ventilation shafts.

Kurama groaned when he considered the blue prints of the building that one of the Geese had found for him.

"This place is a mansion, designed for people to be able to reach everywhere easily. It is not a fortification, or even a decent maze," the red head complained, storming up to Hiei and Seras. "The only safe rooms are the dungeons, but attacks of the kind these men are used to cannot be launched from the safety of the lower levels."

Hiei returned Kurama's wide-eyed frustration with a level and unimpressed look of his own.

"You know how to correct things like that, Fox," the fire demon reminded his partner.

Kurama took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, focusing.

"Officer Victoria, do you have any idea how Sir Hellsing feels about having potted plants around the house?"

"Not really, sorry. She ought to be back from her meeting in a few minutes though, so you'll be able to ask her yourself," the blond vampire answered.

"Use your eye," Hiei instructed the girl. "You should be able to see exactly how far away they are."

"Um . . . Sir Integra's car is three kilometres away down the road, approaching at a speed of forty," Seras answered, focusing as Hiei had been forcing her to for the last hour. She blinked, surprised at herself.

"Very good," Hiei said, smirking. "You see, it isn't that hard now, is it?"

Seras shook her head and Kurama thanked them both before going down to greet the car and its occupants.

Alucard was quite taken with Yusuke's bird, seeing it as a similar to his familiars, though clearly larger than he had ever unleashed from his own store of souls.

"He is truly magnificent," the vampire said as Yusuke checked the bird over and talked to it about what the job was.

"Yeah," Yusuke agreed. "He's grown a lot from being the small puff-ball of a thing that used to like riding around on my head he was when he first hatched, haven't ya buddie?" the demon said, patting the large blue bird's head, getting a happy coo from his spirit beast. "Now, you know where you're going pal?"

Alucard nodded, holding out a satellite photograph, which Yusuke accepted.

"Okay Puu, you're looking for a big ship with this symbol on it to the south. Okay? Then you bring our friend here back once he's had his fun, and don't let any of those bastards sink their teeth into you, I don't know what you might catch if they did that," Yusuke instructed, still petting Puu's black crest.

"How do I ride your bird?" Alucard asked, looking up at the giant creature.

"Climb on his back, get comfy, hold on, and don't pull any of his feathers out, or Puu can carry you in his claws," Yusuke answered, stepping back to allow the vampire to climb on.

Puu beat Alucard to it, and picked him up by the back of his jacket with his beak, turning then to deposit the undead creature on his now large and expansive back.

"See you soon," Yusuke said, smiling, as Puu beat his wings to take off and Alucard found his grip. It was probably the least dignified the vampire had been in a very long time. Yusuke wished he'd been able to take a picture.


	6. Chapter 6

As Kurama went around the mansion positioning his plants, he spotted Yusuke meditating in the conference room, and decided to take a moment to find out what his friend was doing.

"Puu's a reflection of myself right? And he knows and can feel where I am and when I'm in trouble. I figure I should be able to do likewise, and if I can, then I maybe I'll be able to watch Alucard on the ship," Yusuke explained.

"I don't like your chances," Kurama said.

"After three hours of not getting anything, I don't like my chances either, at least, without getting help, and having Puu a lot closer than he is right now to start with," Yusuke agreed, standing up from his lotus seat and stretching out. "You want a hand with all those pots and stuff?"

"Thank you, but I'm almost done. This is the last of the hallways," Kurama answered, gesturing to the trolley that had been loaded with potted plants and now only had one left in it. "I'm going to try and channel the enemy, so that if they come into the building, they only have one direction in which they can travel."

"Destination?"

"The dungeons. These Wild Geese fellows need to be throughout the building to attack while the enemy is still outside, so I need to keep them safe while they are in their rooms, and the dungeon is the only place that can be sealed off, so if the enemy comes, that is where I want them cornered, locked away, and able to be dealt with at a later time if required," Kurama answered.

"So, are the plants of demon or human world?" Yusuke asked, stepping closer to examine the bit of greenery as Kurama set it down beside the door to the room he had just been using.

"Both, but mostly human. Captain Bernadotte kindly brought me back a few leaves and seeds from South America, though I don't think he intended to, others are more domestic, roses and orchids and poison ivy mostly, hardly any demon plants inside. Though there are a couple around the estate grounds," Kurama answered. "It would be too dangerous to just leave demon flora around in the halls. There is one guarding our rooms, however."

Yusuke nodded his understanding. The human world plants, when combined with Kurama's demon energy, would be quite frightening enough, but leaving demon plants where regular humans could get tangled up in them was a bad idea.

"You'll be on defence then?"

"Yes, until the situation is over, I'll be defending. Of course, the best defence is a good offence," Kurama said, smiling.

Yusuke smiled back, though his smile was a little more hesitant. Kurama could pull out things to make just about anybody wet themselves, and the only reason he hadn't was because he had yet to be Kurama's opponent, for which he was grateful.

Yusuke paused, and looked out of the nearest window.

"Well that was quick," he murmured.

"They're back?" Kurama asked.

"Couple of clicks away, I'm going to go and welcome my buddy back," Yusuke confirmed, heading for the open space at the rear of the compound, where Puu was headed to land.

"Puu!" the bird called when it came into view of Hellsing and Yusuke.

"Hey buddy!" the demon said, accepting the affectionate head-butt from the bird and wrapping his arms around the spirit beast's neck as much as he could. "Did you have fun?"

Puu pulled back and nodded, smiling happily.

"How about you Alucard? Nice flight? Good fight?" Yusuke asked, looking up over to the red-clad figure as it dismounted the blue giant.

"Flying on your bird is exhilarating, and I hope never to experience it again," the vampire answered, smiling. "The fight was not particularly challenging, though the hunter had delicious blood. I hope you don't mind that I didn't bring you back any."

"Nah, that's cool. I doubt I'll become as like my ancestor as to start getting a taste for humans. Besides, there are so many different things you can eat when you're not restricted like that," Yusuke said, brushing off the offer like it was no big deal, and for all that he was only twenty one, it wasn't as if he didn't have some life experience by now.

"I did, however, bring a souvenir for my police girl," Alucard said, withdrawing an exceptionally long musket from Puu's feathers. "What do you think?"

Yusuke whistled appreciatively. "Nice workmanship, though it might be a bit old fashioned for someone used to automatic weapons," he said. "Won't know until you give it to her, of course," he added with a smile.

Alucard returned the smile and nodded, heading into the compound. "Who is with my master?" he asked before he left hearing range. He knew Sir Integra had returned to the communications base and Lord Penwood while he flew out to deal with the ship.

"Hiei. Kurama's just finished peppering the place with defences though, and the Geese, so I wouldn't recommend just going in right now, since Kurama will be on full invader mode, every body that goes in that wasn't in five seconds ago will be seen only as an intruder," Yusuke said, halting the vampire in his progress. It would be more than a bit dumb to get your head bitten off by your allies before the fight even began.

Alucard nodded and returned to Yusuke's side, still holding the musket.

"Has he left anywhere clear?"

"The dungeons."

"I need to get my coffin out then," Alucard said, gesturing and creating a void. A black coffin floated out a moment later. "I don't like the idea of them touching it with their filthy hands."

"Don't blame ya. Hiei, Walter and your Sir Hellsing will be fighting their way back right now if those blimps are anything to go by . . . speaking of blimps, does that one look like it's headed here?" Yusuke asked, focusing on a blimp that was well over two kilometres away.

Alucard looked over his shoulder. "Yes, it is. I suppose we're on defence until they are dealt with as well," he answered with a resigned sigh.

"Don't mind it Alucard, we'll deal with these freaks real quick, then it's just a hop, skip and a jump over to the main war, right?" Yusuke consoled, even as Seras fired from the top of the mansion at the enemy's balloon.

"Her third eye has improved," Alucard observed, pleased.

"Hiei made her practice while we were finding out about the situation with the boat," Yusuke said, walking around the side of the building as the blimp came down. "They lived."

"It wouldn't be any fun if they hadn't," pointed out a grinning Alucard.

"Hmph," Yusuke snorted in amusement. "Got that right. Now, I want to see if my favourite weapon will work against these guys," Yusuke said, brining up his finger and taking aim at one of the bigger targets near the back.

"You point at them?" Alucard asked, amused and curious.

"Yep," he said, letting loose the power from within him.

The Nazi vampire he had been aiming at exploded, as did the five around him, all the vampires between Yusuke and him, and all the vampires in the same trajectory beyond.

"Wow, these guys _are_ weak," Yusuke said, bringing his finger up like a cocked gun.

Alucard just stared for a moment before finally finding his voice. "What was that exactly?"

"Spirit energy condensed into a single point, my finger, then released. When I first got the spirit gun from Koenma, I could only fire one a day, and they were about as solid as five of my punches back then. These days I got fifty rounds a day, and they pack a bit more explosive power than they used to as well," Yusuke answered, smiling. "Of course, I still prefer hitting people, but sometimes that's just a bad idea."

The soldiers paused, shocked at the line of decimation through them, before splitting in two directions and continuing forward, only to hit the mines set up by the Geese.

"Oh yeah, _this_ is going to be _fun_. Not challenging, but still fun," Yusuke said with a grin, levelling his finger at the oncoming soldiers once more, who had stupidly paused a second time with the first five explosions of claymores.

Yusuke levelled another shot at the group heading for him and Alucard, and noticed the grenades being launched from the front of Hellsing HQ.

"We might get to the war faster than I thought," Yusuke said, amused, until he saw something that shouldn't have been possible.

The ground was heaving and a very large, very ugly woman with writing over half her face and a scythe, of all things, was growing out of the ground and taking aim at the building.

"Tell me I'm not really seeing that," Yusuke said, unable to tear his eyes away from the giant figure.

"It's an illusion," Alucard confirmed, withdrawing his own gun. "Keep your eyes on the soldiers, they'll be getting closer with the distraction looming large."

Yusuke nodded, looking back to the grounds. Plants were rearing up now, Kurama's handy-work, but there were still soldiers headed for him and Alucard. Yusuke started shooting again, but three shots in he was out of vampires to fire at.

Alucard fired a bullet from his large black gun, and Yusuke was aware of another shot coming from within Hellsing. Both headed for the same figure. The giant ugly woman, though at mere human proportions, well to the back of the remaining soldiers. The large version disappeared with the first scratch on her face from the bullet Yusuke assumed came from Seras. Kurama would likely have seen through it as well, but he didn't like guns much. The woman's head disappeared with Alucard's bullet.

The few remaining soldiers kept up their attack, pitiful as it was now.

"Okay, we're good to go. Once they get inside that building, they'll be wishing they'd gotten a nice clean death by bomb out here," Yusuke said, turning to head back around the mansion to where he had left Puu.

Alucard wasn't sure he believed the young demon, but when the Wild Geese were all waiting out the back of the building with Seras, he was beginning to wonder just what Kurama would do inside the house.

"He said to wait out here," Pip explained.

"He doesn't want you pissing your pants just because he started playing with plants," Yusuke said, smirking.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me, what was that back there when a great stripe of them just went to pieces before they'd even reached our mine field?" asked the captain.

"He pointed at them," Alucard said, going to sit and rest against the wall of the building.

"What!?" the company of Geese demanded.

Yusuke cocked his hand like a gun. "Bam," he said gently, smirking. "You did get the memo that I kept the demons in like back in Japan right?"

Kurama exited the mansion at that moment, dusting his hands off.

"All dead?"

"Yes, and the building is safe for the humans to return to it as well," Kurama answered his friend. Turning to the Geese he said, as politely as possible, "It would be safer for you all to stay and guard Hellsing against any further attackers than to accompany us into the main battle."

"Here now, we didn't take this job ta be safe!" exclaimed one of the Geese.

"You can either come and die for sure, or stay in your position of defence and have a ninety-ten chance of living, in your favour," Yusuke snapped. "Your pick."

"We'll stay," Pip said calmly, smoking his cigarette. "We're being paid to fight monsters, but we're really here to defend the estate. Sir Lady Hellsing doesn't want blood covering her halls again."

The demons and vampires nodded, and Yusuke helped them aboard Puu's back before climbing up to straddle his buddy's neck himself.

"Let's go to war Puu!" Yusuke yelled enthusiastically, pointing to the lights of London and the blimps that hovered above.


	7. Chapter 7

"You are a vampire, and I am a vampire hunter, from a long line of vampire hunters," Integra said calmly as the traitors showed themselves for who and what they had become. "And you think that this is _your_ lucky day?"

"Sir Hellsing," Hiei said quietly, stepping up to her side. "May I see you wield your blade? I know you are carrying it."

The woman smirked around her cigar. "I was just going to have Walter dispose of them, but why not?" she answered quietly, standing from her chair and, depositing her coat, drew her blade, and cocked a gun. She had shot four before taking the step to behead the nearest of them. She was about to cut down the next vampire when Hiei beat her to it.

"I didn't say anything about having them all to yourself," he said in answer to her look, a small smirk on his face.

"Want to join in the fun Walter?" Integra asked jovially, as Hiei went for another and she turned to the vampire that was attempting to come up behind her.

"Love to ma'am," he said, slicing off three heads simultaneously with a twitch of his wrist and the wires attached to his fingers, a small smile on his own face as well.

"Lord Penwood, I confess I had wondered if you were a traitor as well," Integra said as she went to collect her coat once more.

"I'm a pitiful coward, but I'm not a traitor," the man said, shaking in fear from the display he had just witnessed.

"General! A fleet of airships have been spotted heading this way!" one of the technicians yelled, a paper in his fist. "They're just one-hundred kilometres away sir!"

"Why are we only just hearing of this now?" Penwood demanded.

"I expect the same thing happened at all the other communication centres as was attempted here," Integra answered, calmly dragging on her cigar again. "Traitors. I recommend evacuating the building, Lord Penwood. They are sure to come here too."

"They're attacking the entire city, and one of the balloons had broken off in the direction of your private estate, Sir Hellsing," a soldier said, reading from the little information they had available to them now that so many other towers had apparently been taken over or defected.

"My estate is in perfectly capable hands,"Integra replied. "Penwood?"

"I can't go, Integra. I'm a coward, but this is where I belong. This is my place. Your place is to be out there fighting these monsters. We may be able to reach some people who are still alive and loyal. Anybody, no, everybody else should evacuate, however. There is no need for all of you to die here."

Integra handed over a spare gun and magazine of silver bullets to the man, and walked out.

"Did you not hear me," Penwood said to his people. "You should get out of here while you can."

"Sir, you can't even operate a console. We're staying."

Integra smiled as the door closed behind Walter, proud of the Englishmen who were loyal to their country.

"The enemy at the Hellsing estate has just been defeated," Hiei said suddenly as they reached the car. "The Wild Geese shall remain behind to maintain security. Yusuke, Kurama, Alucard and Seras are on their way to London on Puu. Do you want to rendezvous Sir Hellsing?"

"How do you know that Hiei?" she demanded sharply.

Hiei sighed and removed the white strip of cloth on his forehead that warded his Jagan, revealing his third eye to the two humans.

"Alright, I'll take you at your word from now on," Integra answered, staring at the purple iris when Hiei's regular eyes were a bloody brown-red.

Hiei nodded, but did not replace the warding, stuffing the cloth into the pocket of his pants instead.

"What are your orders, Sir Integra?" Walter asked.

"My orders have never changed, Walter. Search and Destroy, all undead enemies of England and threats to her population are to be exterminated," Integra said calmly. "We will perform our duty as we have always done. Care to join us in a slaughter of fools, Hiei?"

Hiei grinned savagely. "You're asking if I _want_ to slaughter fools? Gladly."

Walter and Integra got into the car, and Hiei secured himself on the roof. He disliked being caught in the metal boxes on wheels. Five minutes into the drive, he tapped on the roof for the car to pull over.

"We're being both hunted and watched, by different parties, but Kurama, the Detective and the other two will be here momentarily," the small demon said plainly.

"It's probably Iscariot watching us," Integra answered. "You might just get to meet the Paladin Anderson, Hiei. How do you take blessed bayonets throughout your body?"

"If they don't hit anything vital, about as well as anybody else," Hiei answered before spinning sharply to decapitate a vampire. "Who's next?" he demanded of the horde. "Do not stray more than ten meters away from this point, either of you," he added softly to the two humans he considered himself babysitting.

Walter disassembled vampires en-mass with his wires, Integra shot several before putting the gun away and drawing her sword instead, and started piercing hearts and cutting off heads. Hiei sliced a few up casually, as though thinking. Stepping back a moment, he sheathed his sword and began a small summoning.

"Fist of the Mortal Flame!" he growled, thrusting his first forward, fire shooting forward and burning all the vampires in its path. He drew his sword once more and continued slicing heads off shoulders.

"Hiei!" a voice called from directly above, causing the dark demon to smile. It was Kurama's voice.

"You just had to get showy, didn't you?" Yusuke's voice joined in, and Puu became defined in the dark sky.

"Be glad it wasn't the dragon," Hiei retorted, though he smiled to see them both, but his red eyes sharpened to see Alucard and Seras. "Has the Schrodinger been found yet?" he demanded.

"No," Kurama admitted.

"Now that we're all here, Seras should take Puu and find him," Hiei said, looking from Integra to Yusuke. "The rest of us can have fun with all the other Nazi freaks."

"Sounds good to me," Seras said, not exactly entirely keen on this kind of fighting yet.

Yusuke gave Puu a pat and a nod.

"Remember to use your third eye to search for him," Hiei and Alucard instructed at the same time, looking at each other and sharing a smirk.

"Yeah, I got it. Schrodinger . . . Let's go," she said to the bird, climbing up on its neck as Yusuke had done.

Puu screamed and smiled, taking off.

"Now that is a beast the likes o' which I ha' ne'er seen afore," said a voice from the rooftops.

"The spectators reveal themselves," Hiei noted.

"Anderson," Alucard smiled.

"Iscariot," Integra hissed.

"Hey, that means Hienkel is around somewhere?" Yusuke asked, looking up into the shadows. "Yeah! There ya are! What's with perching on top of buildings like vultures?" he asked the lady gunner.

"Orders to observe, not interfere, from Archbishop Maxwell," she answered. "This is Yumi, though sometimes she's Yumiko, and a lot less violent," Heinkel added, introducing the nun beside her on the roof.

"Oh, hey, nice to meet cha," Yusuke called, waving up.

"I swear I will kill you one day Detective. You are just that much of an idiot," Hiei said, taking off the head of a vampire that was behind Yusuke with his sword.

"Aw, come on, just because I make friends easier," Yusuke prodded, noticing the decapitated vampire and his still moving friends, pointing his spirit gun at those still standing, he levelled the rest of them. "Is that all of them?"

"In this sector of the city, yes, that is all of them," Hiei answered.

"We can either wait for the vampires to come to us or we can go to them," Kurama said. "Those are our options."

"We take the fight to the enemy," Integra stated. "We will stop them before any more English citizens can be killed."

"Your enemy is here, Hellsing," Andreson stated, jumping down from the building he was standing on. "Our fight isn't finished yet, Vampire," he said, green eyes locked on Alucard.

"Our fight," Alucard said, looking over at the priest, "is not for this moment, my dear nemesis. There are true fools who must be defeated first. Fools who would infect every human with their filth, where I only infect the small space that I occupy."

"Fighting beside you would be contrary to Archbishop Maxwell's orders," Heinkel stated.

"Oh yes, destroy a small problem while the large one is allowed to run free?" Kurama asked. "I fail to see the logic of that man. I believe he has been mentally unstable for some time, myself, likely stemming from a deeply seeded insecurity."

"How dare you speak of Arch-"

"No Heinkel," Anderson interrupted, "This boy is correct. I will need to take Maxwell in hand shortly. Very well, Nazi abominations first, Hellsing abominations next Monday after scones and tea."

"Sounds like a good plan," Hiei said. "While you visit with us, we can talk about fighting styles."

"I'm not sure about that, I don't trust that extra eye ye have. Are ye an abomination also?" Anderson asked, narrowing his eyes at the much shorter figure.

"Hmph, so far I'm beginning to think that there is very little you do not consider an abomination, Paladin."


	8. Chapter 8

"This is not going as planned," the Major observed as the Hellsing/Iscariot collective began the bloody march towards his airship. There was only himself, the doctor, the captain and Schrodinger left now. There were no rivers of blood, the fires had been stifled. Hell did not burn before him. What had he not considered? He looked at his screens. There were figures walking with Hellsing and Alucard not in the Hellsing uniform, and also not wearing the Catholic robes of a member of Iscariot. He did not know these people, though the red head might have been at the round table conference he had asked Schrodinger to carry a message to. He could not remember, he was paying more attention to Alucard at the time.

Then there was also that strange creature. He had no information about it either, yet it had carried Alucard to the ship where the First Lieutenant had been killed. Where had it come from? Was it important?

As he thought these things, the airship was breached.

Seras popped into existence in front of the Nazi war blimp just as Hellsing, Iscariot, and the Japanese demons approached it.

"That's gonna take some getting used to," she mumbled to herself as she stared at her hands.

A hand landed on her head, ruffling her hair.

"Seras," it was her master's voice. She looked up. "Seras Victoria," he said. Her name, he had said her name. She smiled happily.

"Hello Master," she answered, spotting Integra, she snapped a salute. "Mission complete, Sir. Schrodinger tasted . . ." she screwed up her face slightly, "like he'd eaten too much sugar, actually."

Alucard laughed. "My little vampire," he said fondly, wrapping an arm around her.

"Very good Officer Victoria," Integra said, smiling.

"Good job Puu," Yusuke murmured, looking over at his spirit beast as it took off from somewhere about five blocks east of where they were, turned, and flew over to them.

Yusuke petted Puu's beak as the bird landed, scaring some of the Iscariot members. "Yeah, who's my good boy? Yeah," Yusuke continued to praise, hugging Puu. "I'll wait for you guys out here. There might be some out here we missed, but I really don't think I'm going to be needed for the last . . . how many are in there?" Yusuke asked, turning to Hiei.

"Debatable, but certainly not more than four," the fire demon answered. "I could torch it, and then we wouldn't even have to go in," he suggested, almost hopefully.

"There should be the Major, a doctor, and a captain," Seras said, calling on Schrodinger's memories, "not sure about there being a fourth though."

"I'll deal with the Major," Integra said, growling.

"Seras and I will face their captain," Alucard added, looking down at the vampire with the human eyes he had created back in Cheddar Village with a smile.

"Y-yes Master!"

"That just leaves the doctor, who probably was the one to turn all the humans into vampires," Kuarma announced. "Hiei, feel like setting a lab on fire?"

Hiei smiled. "You're asking me if I'd like to set something on fire?"

"It was mostly rhetorical," the yoko said with an answering smile.


	9. Chapter 9

Alucard smiled as he watched Seras bite into their opponent, and joined her in draining him. It was amazing the difference in her from just having consumed the Schrodinger boy.

"Master," Seras said, halting her drinking suddenly, flickering slightly.

"Focus on yourself for a moment Seras, I will finish the dog," Alucard ordered.

"Thank you Master, assimilating the Schrodinger makes things strange . . ."

"Go to my master, I doubt the Major is going to just let Integra kill him, and she will need someone to get her out of here faster than she will be able to carry herself," the ancient vampire instructed.

Seras nodded, and focused a moment to see if she could, once again, use the powers assimilated from the Schrodinger to reach Sir Integra. When she opened her eyes, it appeared to have worked.

"Master is finishing up the last drops of the captain. Orders Sir?" she asked, snapping a salute.

"Break this smug bastard's glass cage."

Seras saluted and punched through, smashing the supposedly unbreakable shield, sending shards into the Major's flesh in the process. Except . . . he wasn't made from flesh. The glass broke through gears, pulleys, springs, wires, and rods. The Major was a metal monster.

"I am not a monster," he answered when Integra voiced the realisation.

"No Major, you are," Integra returned, raising her gun once more and firing, the round halting within the brain cavity.

"Time to go, Sir," Seras intimated, stepping up to Integra and gesturing for the exit.

Integra just nodded and let Seras lift her out through the smashed front window of the air ship and escort her around to where Yusuke waited with Puu and Iscariot. The young man was apparently playing a card game with several of the Vatican's assassins.

"Alright, show 'em," Yusuke ordered.

"I got nothing."

"Two of a kind, fours."

"I got nothing as well."

"Two pair, sixes and nines."

"Full house," Heinkel announced, reaching for the small pot happily.

"Hold off, I've got a royal flush," Yusuke said, smiling as he lay his hands over Heinkel's and stopping her from taking the small pot of money.

"Congratulations Mr Urameshi," Integra said, raising an eyebrow at the Japanese youth. "You managed to get Iscariot assassins to loosen up for long enough to play a hand of poker. Have the others returned?"

"Just waiting for the flames to take hold actually. Someone suggested it would be a good idea to make sure anything left in there burned," Yusuke answered, collecting the cards and stuffing his winnings into his pockets at the same time. "Alright everybody, I hope no one gets air sick 'cause we're getting out of here on Puu's back!" Yusuke yelled, "and we're getting out of here right now!" he added, once the game had been cleaned up and he'd spotted Hiei.

A significant number of the Iscariot Organisation baulked at the idea of climbing aboard the giant blue bird, others simply stood, shaking slightly, as it turned its head to fix them with it's happy brown gaze.

"Drop a wing, Puu, I don't know if they'll be able to jump up that distance," Yusuke told the bird fondly, chuckling.

"He's an impressive demon," Anderson said to Yusuke as he ushered his fellow Iscariots on board.

"Oh, Puu isn't a demon, he's a spirit beast. A reflection of what I'm like inside, feeding off my energy," Yusuke said, correcting the priest immediately, and calmly.

"How did ye come to acquire this beast?" Anderson asked.

"I got it from the son of the guy who runs things upstairs," he answered with a smile. "See, I died pushing a little kid out of the way of a car, but apparently he would have lived anyway and I wasn't supposed to go yet, so I got this test. I had to do good things while I was dead, and eventually a spirit beast would hatch from the golden egg and I'd get to come back. In the end it didn't work out that way, I had to throw the egg into a fire to save someone else's life, but I still got sent back, which was really great of him to do. Then a few months later he tells me that my egg is just about to hatch, since it had still been feeding off of my spirit while I was alive again, and then this guy pops out almost the instant I'm given the egg. Of course, at the time he was only about the size of a football and his favourite perch was my hair," Yusuke explained to the somewhat confused regenerator.

"So you've seen . . ." Heinkel said, having overheard the conversation and couldn't hold herself in check any longer.

"Only the gate, a really long corridor, a room full of guys running around with paperwork, and Junior's office," Yusuke answered. "Is that everybody?"

"Iscariot is all here, apart from Archbishop Maxwell, who will not be pleased about this," Heinkel confirmed, as Anderson jumped up onto Puu's back.

"Hellsing?" Yusuke called.

"All accounted for," Walter called back.

"Guess that just leaves us," Yusuke said, turning to Kurama and Hiei. "Where do you want to be when you summon the dragon?"

"Will it disturb him if I stand on his head while I do it?" Hiei asked.

Before Yusuke could answer, Puu lowered his head next to Hiei for the small demon to climb on.

"Guess not," Yusuke smiled, hauling himself up over Puu's neck and extending a hand for Kurama to join him.

Kurama ignored the hand, but did sit just behind Yusuke on the spirit beast's neck.

"Let's go Puu! Hold on tight everyone!" Yusuke yelled happily, to which Puu screeched in eager answer.

Hiei summoned the dragon as soon as Puu was completely air-borne and stable. The black flames seemed to worry and unnerve the humans, but Alucard was clearly impressed by them, and Seras seemed to be awed as well. When Puu flapped his wings, fanning the flame as he turned for the Hellsing estate, the air ship exploded completely, consumed by the flames.


	10. Chapter 10

"You know," Yusuke said when Anderson arrived, as promised, on Monday for scones and a fight with Alucard, "Hiei said a long time ago that he would kill me one day, and my I met my best friend back in Japan because he wanted to beat me in a fight, and kept trying for three years. I'm betting those guys are kinda the same."

Integra raised a sceptical eyebrow. "I doubt it."

"Well, we'll find out when they finish fighting. I'll even put money on it that I'm right. Even if Anderson never admits it, I think Alucard might," Yusuke answered, shrugging, as he watched the two large men go at each other.

"I agree with the Detective," Hiei said, sitting down with them to watch the battle, a bowl of ice cream in one hand, a spoon in the other. "If Alucard really wanted to kill Alexander, why hasn't he tried _eating_ him?"

Integra and Walter both blinked in surprise. Why hadn't _they_, who knew Alucard, thought of that before?

"He only uses the weapons you have provided, the human weapons, rather than any of his own. If he wanted to, he could unleash millions to fight for him, but he doesn't. He is holding back because he wants to find a human who can kill him. He has been killed before, and he has come back. He strives to find someone who can defeat him as the monster that he is now, and holds those few who were capable in high regard," Kurama added, lying down on the grass next to where Hiei sat, turning his head to watch the fight.

"The issue with the plants is sorted out now?" Integra asked, distracted from the fight by Kurama'a arrival.

"Yes. I managed to get the men who had fallen into the plants out, and I have returned them to their seed state. Apart from some scratches, and a couple of rashes from the poison ivy, the men are just fine and all accounted for. It must have been an intruder or stray animal that got into the flesh-eating bell-plant," Kurama answered, not looking away from the fight.

"Was that one of your demon plants?"

"No, it was one of the ones that somehow got its seeds into the Captain's braid while in South America. They have some of the most truly fascinating plants there," sighed the yoko wistfully. "Plants that with the barest hint of my energy go from being merely predators of micro- and minor-fauna to beautiful, deadly monsters, more than capable of devouring fifty grown men with great delight."

Hiei smirked down at Kurama, and Yusuke laughed companionably.

"PERVERT!"

The scream broke the mild serenity of companionably watching foes battling and making light conversation. It was Seras' voice. She flickered into existence beside the battle ground.

"Sir, I request permission to punish Captain Bernadotte for sexual harassment," the blond vampire stated, saluting sharply as she made her request.

"Denied," Integra answered.

Seras wilted visibly.

"What did he do this time? You've accused him of sexual harassment for singing dirty songs in your presence," Integra reminded the young vampire.

"He touched me, intimately, without my permission," Seras ground out.

"He _what_?" Alucard asked, quiet rage in his voice as he suddenly was at her side, Anderson and their fight forgotten.

"Bring him here!" Integra ordered Walter, blue eyes flashing sharply.

His own eyes flashing, the butler bowed and left at once. He did not approve of the way the French mercenaries, Captain Pip in particular, acted around the police girl.

"Oy! What's this break?" Anderson demanded, running up to the small party, waving one of his bayonets around. "Ye have not defeated me yet Vampire that ye can ignore me!"

Alucard wasn't listening, his whole focus was on Seras.

"Where did he touch you? How?" he demanded.

"He came up behind me while I was cleaning the Harkonnen, and grabbed me the same way the vampire-priest did in Cheddar," Seras answered, looking down at her feet in shame that she had allowed anyone to sneak up on her. "If I may not kill him, can I at least go bathe? I feel filthy from his touch."

"Yes, Seras, of course you may. Do you want someone to go with you?" Integra asked, her gaze fixed on the way the two vampires were holding onto each other without apparently being aware that they were.

"No Sir," Seras answered, stepping away from Alucard to look at Integra. "I'll be fine on my own as long as I know he's being dealt with."

Integra nodded her understanding and Alucard released her before she disappeared into her chambers to scrub herself.

"The wee lass vampire was man-handled?" Anderson asked, finally catching up with the conversation.

"Yes," Integra answered shortly. "Servant, you will not be given the satisfaction of punishing the Captain, or even deciding what will happen to him. You may watch, however," she said, directing her words to Alucard. "I'm not sure what we'll do with him, but I can't let his behaviour continue."

"I have a suggestion," Kurama said, withdrawing a seed from his hair.

"Demon world or human?" Hiei asked. He knew Kurama kept a variety from both worlds in his red locks at almost all times, but he was no good at identifying the seeds himself.

"Demon," Kurama answered. "It won't spill any blood, though Sir Hellsing would probably prefer to not witness this."

Integra raised an eyebrow. She wasn't sure about this, considering the previous plant issues had only just been dealt with.

"What will it do, exactly?" Alucard asked, wanting to know for the sake of vilification on behalf of his little vampire.

Walter emerged from the Hellsing manor, Captain Bernadotte following behind, just as Kurama began to answer the Nosferatu.

"Are you familiar with the phrase 'the punishment shall fit the crime', Mr Alucard? Mr Pip can know what it is to be invaded, as he attempted to invade Miss Victoria. This particular plant captures prey, takes them, and leaves its seeds inside the bodies of its victims. If not cleaned out thoroughly, then the seeds will feed off the energy of the victim, and grow out, using the body as other plants use soil and fertilizer."

Integra, Anderson and Walter all stared at Kurama in mild horror. Pip's expression was one of sheer terror. Alucard looked like he was thinking it over, if it was suitably evil enough for the Captain.

"See, _this_ is why pissing off Kurama is a bad idea," Yusuke said, shaking his head and getting up to go. He was all for guys getting what they deserved with interest, but he'd just as soon not watch. Besides, it was a good hour to call Keiko. "Be sure you clean him out thoroughly then Kurama, we don't need more of those growing up all over human world, and he'd probably do it wrong by himself," he called over his shoulder, waving as he left.

Kurama pulled a face. That was the downside to this idea.

"Just do not allow the plant release," Hiei said flatly. "Or use a human vine instead."

Kurama nodded, putting the seed away and taking out another one.

"Grape vine, with a little of my energy, should produce a similar effect."

Hiei nodded his approval of the alternative.

"You have my approval," Integra said, waving a hand. "I'm going to go and see Seras," she added, getting out of her chair and heading into the mansion.

"I will stay," Walter, Alucard and Anderson all stated at the same time. Anderson may not have cared anything for Seras as the other two men did, each in their own ways, but he did disapprove and desired to see punishment almost as much.

"You won't like me half as much when you see what I am capable of," Kurama warned the priest with a smile, perfectly aware that Anderson had not been informed regarding exactly how present demons were at Hellsing.

"The uniform really doesn't help," Seras said when Integra came into her room in the lower levels.

"No, I suppose it doesn't," Integra agreed, closing the door and using the momentary chore to give her some time to think. "Alucard can change his entire appearance at will, perhaps you could try?" she suggested at last.

"What, retail therapy isn't an option?" Seras tried to joke, smiling weakly.

"It is," Integra answered. "But it wouldn't solve your wardrobe problem quite as immediately, and it may prove to be a useful trick in the future."

Seras nodded, and tried focusing. Without opening her eyes, she asked, "How'm I doing?"

"You look like some kind of dominatrix," Integra answered.

Seras opened her eyes sharply and looked down, gasping.

"Well, it isn't exactly what I was going for," Seras admitted somewhat sadly as she tested how well she could move in her new clothes. "I'll be able to fight in them though, and I think the only guy who'd appreciate this look would be Master," she concluded.

"Why, is Seras going to attempt to seduce Alucard?" Integra asked, almost teasing, and causing Seras to blush.

"That wasn't what I meant!" Seras said, looking down at her black and red clothes again. Slacks – a definite improvement over the skirt – were topped by a comfortable but heavily boned top that had a regulation shirt collar and full-length sleeves. Both were black. Over the top of those, she wore a red leather bolero jacket. Her gloves were still brown, as well as her boots, and three belts with loops and pouches for ammo that hung from her waist and hips.

"That's alright Seras," Integra said, smiling. "I like it too, by the way."

A knock came at the door.

"Come in," Seras called, recognising by now the presence of Hiei and Kurama almost as well as she recognised the presence of her Master, who was also with them.

"How did his punishment go?"Integra asked.

The three all gave matching cruel smiles.

"He will never look at another grape," Alucard said, entering the room and wrapping an arm around the full vampire who still chose to be his servant, "and he will refrain from any such behaviour towards you ever again, Seras."

"Thank you."

Kurama bowed his head in acceptance and turned to leave, but noticed Seras' new look. "He definitely won't touch you again, with you looking like that," he said. "It suits you though."

Hiei looked Seras up and down before nodding.

"Remember to keep your awareness up at all times as well, even when in a 'safe' environment," the small demon advised. "There is no reason you should be unaware of someone like him attempting to sneak up on you."

Seras nodded and the two demons vacated the doorway, likely for their own room.

"Where is the Paladin?" Integra demanded, realisation hitting that he was likely still on her grounds and without Alucard nearby to target.

"Preaching to the captain," Alucard said with a chuckle. "I won't kill him, he's useful, even if he did bother Seras, and for the Judas Priest . . . maybe when I'm not needed one day, one day I might let him kill me."

"Master!" Seras explaimed, grabbing onto his jacket front more desperately than she had a moment ago been holding it.

Alucard chuckled, ruffling her hair.

"Obviously not yet," he assured her. "I don't let just anybody kill me. He's going to have to prove to me that he isn't someone's dog first."

"Only a human can kill a monster," Seras said, quoting the words she had heard her master say a few times before in various situations – where he almost invariably had the upper hand though.

Alucard nodded, smiling.

Integra nodded as well, and left the two vampires alone.


	11. Chapter 11

"Is Hiei there? Yukina wants to talk to him," Keiko asked when she had been talking with Yusuke for half an hour.

"He's around somewhere, and if you're lucky he's near. I'll go find him then call you back, okay?" Yusuke offered.

At that moment, he heard the door of Hiei and Kurama's room opening. "Actually, I think I just heard him, hang on for a sec."

Keiko nodded and handed the communication mirror over to the ice apparition with a quick explanation.

"Hey, Hiei!" Yusuke said, sticking his head out of his room and spotting both of the demons who had come with him.

"What is it Detective?" the fire demon demanded, stopping in the door, Kurama staying behind him.

"Yunika wants to talk," Yusuke answered, holding up the mirror before holding it out to the shorter demon.

Hiei froze up and backed away from the device as though it were a snake about to bite him. Except that he never would have backed away from a snake.

Yusuke rolled his eyes and grabbed Hiei's non-bandaged hand, firmly placing the mirror in his palm. "Just talk to her dammit," he said, turning to go back to his own room. "She's your sister. You can't avoid her, even if you don't want her to know the truth."

"Shut up, fool!" Hiei hissed, gripping the compact tightly.

"I was right," Yukina's voice said softly from the mirror. It was closed, but apparently Yusuke hadn't actually hung up.

Yusuke smirked and ducked into his room quickly.

Hiei screwed up his face in a grimace. Of all the ways Yukina could have learned the truth – not that he had wanted her to ever know – that wasn't the most ideal of ways.

Kurama laid a comforting hand on Hiei's shoulder and gave a gentle smile. "Do you want me to go, or stay?" he asked quietly.

"Stay," Hiei said, leaning his face into the hand on his shoulder.

Kurama nodded and moved them both into their room, closing the door behind him.

Hiei opened the mirror to the face of his twin sister, who had tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.

"Oh Brother!" she exclaimed, seeing his face. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Hiei shifted uncomfortably. "I'm a criminal. I didn't think you would want a brother who was a convicted felon."

Yukina shook her head. "I don't care about that. You're my brother; I'll love you no matter what."

Kurama smiled as he watched a tear fall down the fire-demon's cheek, solidifying into a pure white hiroseki stone. As far as he knew, Hiei had never cried before in his life. He was glad, as the stone rolled along the ground and he bent to pick it up, that the first tear of Hiei's life was a happy one.

"Vampire activity has gone right down since the Millennium mess has been cleaned up," Integra informed the demons as they sat for lunch. "They're laying low."

"Sensible of them," Hiei commented.

"Yes, but it leaves us at a loose end," Kurama added. "We came to fight vampires, and now they are all hiding."

"Will you return to your own country then?" asked the lady knight.

"Yeah," Yusuke said. "If we're going to sit on our butts, we might as well be at home to do it. There are a couple of things I'd like to check out before we go though. You guys?"

"I still want a fight with Angel Dust and your vampire," Hiei said, smirking. "I don't want to leave before I have had a chance to fight the two strongest opponents you have to offer me."

"Alucard can fight you as soon as he wakes this evening, but I will need to contact Father Anderson with the request before you can fight him,." Integra said, watching as Hiei wiped some of the blood off his chin and then lick it off his thumb. It might not have been demon game, but a rabbit was apparently just as acceptable to the fire demon.

"We can just drop by his place on the way home," Yusuke said. "He's in Rome, right? That's on the way."

"Still, I think I'd better write to the Paladin so that he can expect you. Anything for you before you go, Kurama?" asked Integra, turning from the messy eaters to their most refined companion.

"I should get a souvenir for my mother, and perhaps see if I can get some seeds or cuttings of your European plants," the red head answered, setting his tea cup down.

Integra nodded. "The car will be made available to you for the afternoon."

Kurama bowed in his seat in appreciation and continued with his meal.

Hiei wasn't the only one who wanted a fight with Alucard, and all three of the friends took their turns, being restricted to a time limit so that they would not continue too long. Their time all ran out before a winner could be decided for their battles, but apart from Yusuke wanting to know about who _would_ have won if they'd had the time to fight it out, they all found the fights satisfying. The three friends flew back to Japan on Puu's back, rather than taking the plane again, stopping in Rome for Hiei – and likely Yusuke and Kurama as well – to fight Anderson.

"Alexander!" Hiei called as he jumped down from the bird's back, looking around for the green-eyed priest. "I want a fight with you before I go home! I will not be satisfied until I have felt your strength for myself!"

Yusuke jumped down as well and flared his aura, hoping to get the people of Iscariot to come running. He had discovered that while Alucard was able to see and feel damaged caused by demon and spirit energy, he had no sense of it. It was kind of disappointing really. Seras hadn't been able to register it either, and it was looking like these catholic humans also had no idea of what was standing in the middle of their marble city.

"They have no idea what we are except for what we show them," Kurama observed, jumping down to stand beside Yusuke and Hiei. "Or they know how strong you are and are hiding."

"I shall be glad to oblige, Mr Hiei!" Anderson's voice rang out, the robed man charging from one of the buildings with a crazy smile on his face.

"Good. We are on a schedule, however, so we can only take a little over a half hour – ten minutes for each of us. Is that alright with you, Father Anderson?" Kurama asked, arresting the priest's charge with his calm and controlled tone.

That seemed to bring him up short. "Aye, ten minutes I suppose. No promises I'll not kill ye in that time, however."

The demons shared a look between themselves and smiled. "Not too worried about that," Yusuke answered, smirking as Hiei stepped up to fight first.

"Oh no you don't Hiei," Yusuke said, grabbing the shorter demon by the back of his coat. "If you want to fry him, wait until after we've had a turn."

Hiei frowned, but backed down and allowed Yusuke to step up first, raising his fists, which he had bandaged to protect his knuckles.

"Go!" Kurama called, checking his watch.

Ten minutes later, and Anderson was watching Yusuke's fists and face very carefully. "Ye aren't human, are ye?"

"See, the first time I died, I came back a human. The second time . . ." Yusuke shook his head with a smile. "But I managed to punch out some pretty tough demons while I was still human, and that was back when I was fourteen!" he added with a smile, walking over to Kurama to take the watch from him.

"I find it interesting that you do not even bleed," Kurama said politely to Anderson as he stepped back, the time for his fight over. Kurama himself found himself in need of changing his shirt due to the blood stains. "You have very unique regenerative abilities."

Yusuke was right, Hiei _did_ want to test his darkness flame on the priest, and if it had not been for the small faces he saw peering around the building, and had approached tentatively during Yusuke's and Kurama's fights, he would be unleashing it now.

As he fought, he considered the questions the children had asked him, and the things they had said.

"_Why is Father fighting? He always tells us that we are only to use violence against monsters and pagans," said one boy around the thumb in his mouth._

"_Child, do you even know what a pagan is?" Hiei asked, dodging the question until he could think of a way to answer it._

He dodged a bayonet and struck out with his sword.

"_It's someone who is bad, and doesn't believe in God," a little girl had answered._

_Hiei shook his head. "Paganism is a complex belief system, with lots of gods and many rituals. All humans are capable of evil, children, whatever faith they may claim."_

"_Are you a pagan?" demanded another, older boy, a fierce light in his eyes._

"_No."_

Anderson threw several bayonets at Hiei, which he dodged, and Kurama caught in his vines so as to prevent damage to the surrounding area.

"_Are you a monster then? 'Cause Father doesn't fight good people," asked the same boy._

"_He doesn't look like a monster," a girl pointed out._

"_Of course he does, I have seen him do so. He just doesn't fight Catholic people," Hiei said, again dodging the question, since the little girl seemed to have dealt with it._

"_Isn't that the same thing?"_

Hiei slashed his sword, cutting away Anderson's outer robe.

"_No, it's not. In my home country, there are no Catholic people at all, does that make them all evil by default?"_

"_Yes," some of the children answered. "No," answered some of the others._

"_Are you a monster?" the boy from before asked again. "You didn't answer my question."_

Anderson's glasses crunched underfoot as Hiei stabbed through the larger man's stomach with his sword, quickly withdrawing so that he would not be hit by a bayonet himself.

"_I hunt monsters," Hiei answered. "So I have to be strong enough to kill them. The strength that I have is not human strength, so I suppose I must be a monster as well."_

"_Father hunts monsters, and he's really strong, but he isn't a monster," a little girl with blond curls said, holding a blanket tightly to her chest. "He keeps all of us in the orphanage safe."_

_Hiei smiled at the girl and patted her head gently._

Hiei was just considering disappointing the children and unleashing his darkness flame when Kurama yelled to stop the fight. The time was up. Hiei sheathed his sword.

"You charge the same way Alucard does, Alexander," Hiei said, his face calm.

The priest did not much appreciate the comparison, but accepted it none the less.

"The little blond girl with the blanket, what is her name?" asked the fire demon as he watched his opponent put away his weapons.

"She hasn't one. She had no father to name her, and her mother died before she could breath it. We call her our sweet one until she decides upon a name for herself, or someone decides to adopt her and give her a name," Anderson answered, spotting the child Hiei was indicating.

"I will take her, and name her."

"What?"

"You heard me. I know an old woman who would enjoy the child's company, and my sister would doubtless enjoy having a child to care for, she's gentle that way."

There was no need to tell the blinded Catholic that he could sense tremendous energy from the girl, energy she should be trained in before she became any older.

Anderson just nodded, though he was unsure of the demon, he had no reason to distrust him with the child, and knew a family would be better for her than the orphanage. He called her over and helped her up onto Puu's back – she had no belongings besides the blanket she held. The clothes she wore were given to her by the church, but the blanket had been the quilt in her bassinet, the only thing her mother had made ready for her before dying in childbirth.

"From now on, your name will be Kiyomi," Hiei said, caressing the girl's forehead with his thumb as he sat on Puu's back with her in his lap, holding tightly to the child and the bird as it took off. Kurama and Yusuke had just been waiting for Hiei. "Now sleep, if you can. It is a long flight to Japan, where you will live from now on."


	12. Chapter 12

Kurama stood with Hiei, watching the newly named Kiyomi playing in Genkai's game hall – under the old woman's careful supervision.

"You see it too." It wasn't a question.

"Yes," Kurama admitted. "She reminds me of Mukuro, actually, though I can't place how. The child is at least part demon, if not entirely so. It was good of you to take her out of there."

"Hn. Even I am not so heartless as to leave an infant where they will be told lies about their nature," Hiei admitted. "Has the Detective set a date yet?" he asked suddenly, changing the subject. They had barely been back twenty-four hours, but Yusuke had gone straight to Keiko after dropping Hiei, Kurama and Kiyomi at the temple. He'd called once, about an hour later. Hiei hadn't spoken to him, but Kurama had.

"Yes, he's moving fast so that nothing happens to forestall this wedding as happened with the previous one. It's going to be next Monday. Just him, Keiko, their parents, and a registrar. He is determined that nothing will go wrong if there aren't enough things with room to get messed up," Kurama answered, smiling. "Though there will likely be a celebration afterwards, to which everybody he can find will be invited."

Hiei nodded. "I'll take any missions Koenma has. The Detective should not be forced to postpone his marriage to the girl a second time, if nothing comes up, then I will be there also. He will outlive her though."

Kurama nodded sadly. That was true. Yusuke would likely outlive Keiko several times over, and not age very much at all. He wished them happiness. The red head smiled a private smile as his hand and Hiei's found each other, quite accidentally, and laced their fingers together.

"Hey Mum, I'm home!" Yusuke called as he got back to his parent's house.

"Yusuke, how was your day honey?" Atsuko asked, appearing around the counter of the kitchen, a slightly sudsy plate and a dish cloth in her hands.

He smiled. "Great," he answered, walking up and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I gave all the guys a real work over today, and then Souketsu and Kujou gave me an even bigger working over to keep the score even and my head small."

"Will Souketsu be long?"

"No, I won't," came another male voice from the door, laughter in his voice. The vaguely lizard-like demon appeared at the door, purple beret in place and a smile on his face. "I'm right here. Hi love."

"Hey," Atsuko returned, putting the plate and cloth down and stepping into her new husband's embrace, smiling happily. "How was beating my boy into the training mat today?"

Both of the males laughed.

"Harder than yesterday," Souketsu admitted, smiling proudly at Raizen's heir. "Your old man would be proud of your progress, Yusuke."

Yusuke scratched the back of his head and ducked to hide his blush.

"Keiko called by the way Yusuke," Atsuko said, bringing her mind back to her son. "I know you two normally have family dinner with us on Fridays, but she said to send you home quickly, some kind of big news."

"Okay Mum. Love you, I'll see you some other time," Yusuke said, kissing her cheek before turning back to the door. The first week Yusuke had been back from Europe, Souketsu and Atsuko had gotten married. The second, he'd finally tied the knot with Keiko. Kuwabara was due to graduate from University next month – a doctor – and was planning to propose to Yukina soon.

"Yusuke!" Keiko cried happily as he came through his own door.

"Hey Keiko," Yusuke said, wrapping his arms around Keiko's waist before he swept her into a dip and, smirking down at her as she laughed, kissed her. "Mum said something was up," he said when the kiss broke off.

Keiko laughed. "You're going to be a father Yusuke," she told him, smiling. "Don't worry about those SDF guys either, I got checked out by Botan, so Koenma already knows and we're in the clear."

"Keiko, you're serious?" Yusuke said, a huge grin lighting up his face. Lifting her from the dip, and then into the air, he spun her around, laughing. "Oh man, Keiko! We're gonna be parents!" he yelled happily. When he lowered Keiko to the ground again at last, he took her face in his hands and kissed her thoroughly, still smiling the whole time.

He couldn't wait to tell the guys.

THE END

**Author's Note: **Anybody asking for a sequel? The answer is no. At least from me. If you want a sequel, please feel free to write your own. I feel like I did a bad thing with the creation of the little girl as it is. I'm not writing more.


End file.
